Rebels With A Cause
by VeryNoodlePerson
Summary: After accidentally getting involved with the mage rebellion during a trip to Demacia, Ezreal finds himself at the center of attention of the civil war. Being both celebrated as a hero and wanted as a criminal, the lies he had created slowly begin to spiral out of control and it won't be long until everyone finds out that he's actually just a guy from Piltover with a fake identity.
1. Chapter 1: Of Trinkets and Tea

**Hey, it's me, the author of the story! I'm so very sorry to bother you but I wanted to say a few things up first. This is my fist attempt at writing and english isn't my native language so this might not be the best thing you will ever read. That doesn't mean I don't take constructive criticism!**

**This is a young adult styled fan fiction and I am heavily inspired by my favorite authors which are Marie Lu and Tahereh Mafi. The PoV switches throughout the story, but don't worry, it says at the beginning of the chapter who's PoV the chapter is told from! That being said, please enjoy my story and have a nice day!**

Chapter 1

Of Trinkets and Tea

Ezreal

Originally, it was supposed to be one of the smaller trips. Nothing was really supposed to happen, as much as I would have liked to uncover some ancient mystery deep down a sacred ruin that I, by some miracle hadn't yet destroyed. There was nothing really special about the occasion and I thought I could be back by dinner. Just a quick drop off to one of my clients and I'd be on my merry way.

So how did I end up becoming the most important figure of the rebellion during the Demacian Civil War? Well, let me start over at the beginning.

My least favourite part about my kind of work was interacting with the clients. Not because I was antisocial by any means, hell no, I was way too involved with people and culture for that... but you never knew what sort of shitty excuse they'd try to come up with to not pay up. Since technically I couldn't really have the authorities help me out because my work wasn't always on the legal spectrum, things could get out of hand pretty quickly, and after just having delved into an ancient mystery cave or a century old tomb that would collapse and have me barely escaping with my life, having to deal with a shady client was the last thing on my bucket list.

So naturally, I dreaded what was ahead of me. The client was new and I had only ever corresponded with them via letters so I didn't really know what to expect. The meet up place, which most likely served as their residence seemed normal enough, but then again, if you wanted to do shady business and stay undetected while doing it, the worst thing you could do was move into a shady looking house. Or be a shady looking person for that matter. The most backstabbing person was always most likely the one that looked the most trustworthy.

I checked my satchel for the item I was commissioned to retrieve for whoever lived in there. It was a small gold coin, decorated with strange runic carvings that I had tried (and failed) to decipher. The client was willing to pay an insane amount for such a small thing and it would be an understatement if I said that I was at least a little suspicious. People offering such an enormous amount of cash usually offered that kind of money because they never intended to pay it in the first place. I had my guard up, took a deep breath and knocked on the wooden door.

At first I thought no one would answer after I had waited quite a few moments. I looked around and analysed my surroundings, trying to make out a potential escape route in case something went wrong. I liked that Demacian architecture was way safer than what I had to work with in Piltover. Yes, almost everything was made out of petricite which dampened my magic abilities, but at least it was safe to say that I had to be very, and I mean _very_ stupid to fall from a high place and die inside these petricite walls.

Just as I was about to knock a second time, the door swung open and a rather obese man, probably in his late fifties greeted me with a smile.

"Ah yes, I've been expecting you!" he proclaimed loudly. His accent told me that he was not initially from Demacia, though I couldn't quite place it. I had heard an accent like that before but I had been to so many places that my head threw everything around in a disorganized mess. "Come inside, come inside!" he motioned for me to enter and I couldn't tell if his enthusiastic hospitality was feigned or genuine. „Do you want tea?" he asked in his accent "I just got some imported from Ionia."

"A shot of milk and no sugar" I said as I took in my surroundings. The man's home was definitely a sight to take in. The items that decorated the hall looked expensive. There were vases on pedestals, enormous framed paintings and an insanely pricey looking rug that I didn't dare to walk over. Glass casings were holding various items of what I assumed to be shuriman origin. This man knew his antiques and it turned out to be a mental challenge for me to restrain my sticky fingers from slipping at least one or two of these priceless artefacts into my pocket.

The man guided me to the lounge and I have to say, if I thought the hall was extravagant, then it would be an understatement if I said the lounge was at least twice as impressive, to the point where opt seemed almost ridiculously pretentious. He sat down on the couch that looked like it wasn't made for being sat on and motioned for me to sit across him on the other side of the coffee table. A woman which I assumed to be his wife brought us two cups of steaming hot tea. It had a strong hint of lotus in its smell.

"I believe we have business to discuss" the man said with a smile that seemed genuine enough. I didn't ask for his name. There was no need for it and even less of a chance that he'd tell me his real one anyway. In this sort of business, you usually want to stay anonymous, at least with a new hire I guess.

"Indeed" I answered and pulled the coin out of my satchel, holding it between my thumb and index fingers while showing him the item. "Though I'm curious. You sent me to retrieve this for you, so you surely must know what it is" I knew I was possibly overstepping my boundaries by asking, but hey, I went through all this trouble to get it, I felt like I deserved to know what the hell it was I had retrieved for him.

The man reached out with his palm in order for me to hand it over but I kept a sturdy grip on the coin. "Sorry, payment first. Nothing personal, it's company policy." It was meant as a joke, I didn't work for a company. I would rather describe myself as a... freelancer, or something like that.

"Of course" the man said and grabbed a bag of what I assumed to be gold coins which was placed conveniently close to where he sat and tossed it over to me. I peeked inside and sure enough, I spotted a bunch of gold coins glittering inside. Usually, I'd try to barter for a higher price, but with new clients, I didn't want to push my luck. I flung the gold coin over to the man and he snatched it out of the air in a swift motion. He held it into the light, inspecting it closely, most likely checking if it was real. I felt a bit insulted by that, considering the fact that I was legit and not some con artist. But I got it. If you're into antiques, you probably get screwed over every now and then. But something else struck me as suspicious. Why would he be convinced so easily to hand over the payment if he wasn't even sure that the artefact was real yet?

I shrugged it off and told myself it was probably due to the fact that the guy was loaded and this sort of cash was probably mere change in his opinion. To think what I could get for an amount of money like this. I was already fantasizing about all the things I would splurge on over at Zanies when I was back in Piltover. The man's voice pulled me back to reality.

"This" he explained "is one of a set. One was made for each of only the closest advisors of the last shuriman emperor. They have no technical use, only symbolic value. You have just brought me the last missing one." He stood up and carefully placed the coin into a glass casing next to 6 others of its kind. I also stood as this concluded our business. But the man seemed catch interest in something else that he quickly took notice of.

"What is it you got there, boy"" He asked with a slight demanding undertone, motioning to my left arm. He meant my shuriman gauntlet of course. "May I see?" he raised both his eyebrows expecting me to comply. Hesitantly I lifted my Arm and showed it to him as he motioned for me to sit back down, in which I had no choice but doing so.

"That is ancient shuriman craftsmanship. A weapon of one of the ancient god warriors. But they were said to be huge… how does it fit you so well?" the man wanted to know. I fiddled in my head for an answer that wouldn't include the menacing truth that my Gauntlet was magic and only fitted me because it had shrunken to my arms size when I first found it in the tomb of Ne'Zuk, one of the supposed "God Warriors" or Ascended, as the ancient texts would call them.

Before I could mutter out another word, the man had already moved on with his interest. "How much do you want for it?" he asked.

"Oh… It's not for sale." I said, using every bit of self-restraint I had in my body to be polite. Was this guy for real? I mean, wasn't me wearing it evidence enough that I was fucking using the damn thing?

"No, you must sell it to me! I have absolutely nothing like it in my collection!"

I leaned forward taking the cup of tea I had forgotten about in my hand. "Sorry, but this baby stays with me." I insisted and took a sip.

The man sighted. "Oh well, I guess nothing can be done then" he said. I then immediately knew something was wrong. It struck me as particularly odd that after being so enthusiastic about my gauntlet he would simply give up after only two attempts. Then it hit me. I dropped the cup and it shattered into dozens of pieces when it hit the floor. How could I have been that stupid.

You would expect a man like him to cry out about the expensive china I just broke, but he did not, I fact, he only stood in front of me with a now rather smug grin.

"Bastard" I muttered under my breath as I got up. My head immediately started spinning and I was getting dizzier and dizzier by the second.

"Naïve boy" said the man "Do you really think I would believe for one second that an experienced explorer like you only has one antiquity with them? If you refuse to sell, I will simply take what I desire." He reached out for my arm but I quickly focused my power and fired a bolt of energy. It only scraped his hand enough to make him flinch and grit his teeth. The blast was weak and I felt the rest of my power quickly being drained as well.

"Thanks, I'll take it as a compliment" I said, trying to maintain my composure and wanting to conceal that the poison already took effect on me.

"There's no need to fight it, boy" said the man and I was kinda getting annoyed that he'd keep calling me that. I was an adult person for all that mattered. "It's petricite potion."

"How did you –…"

"I knew from the moment you entered my manor. There is no way in denying it. And as a mage, you probably already feel the effects of the potion, am I right?"

Fucking piece of garbage human being. He'd regret ever picking a fight with me. Well, I thought that but I wasn't exactly sure how I should fight the guy, escape his manor and not alert any authorities to what was going on. This was gonna be a tricky one.

Before the last of my power faded away for the moment being, I channelled all of it into my gauntlet and managed to teleport a few feet behind the guy. He was obviously surprised, not having expected me to be able to shift through space. I kicked him in the leg and he fell to the ground in an almost laughable manner. Fucking idiot. He had probably expected me to have fainted from the pain by now, but I was no lesser mage like the ones you'd find in the outskirts of Demacia, never having properly trained the powers they possessed. Yes, the pain was agonizing but what was even more so was the fact that this backstabbing son on a bitch had been trying to drug and rob me during our first business meeting. One should at least have the decency to wait until the second meeting to gain at least a certain amount of trust from your victim before viciously screwing them over for all their belongings. Didn't this man's mother teach him anything?

As I stumbled down the hallway I had to catch myself on one of the pedestals to regain my balance, accidentally knocking over one of the vases. As it shattered, I provocatively said "oops" and continued to make my way outside. The man had gotten back onto his feet faster than I had expected, considering his weight and was now running at me, throwing himself onto me with his full weight, which, I won't deny, caught me by surprise and we both went down to the ground, knocking over another expensive looking vase.

Although this man obviously had no combat experience whatsoever, his weight alone was enough to suffocate me. Only with an enormous effort and the help of my will to live I managed to squeeze myself out from under his enormous body just as I thought "This is it. All my glorious adventures and cunning artefact recoveries, and this is how I go. Being squashed flat by a fat man's butt cheeks." Thankfully, as you already might have guessed, this wasn't the way I'd kick the bucket. As I got back on my feet the man grabbed my foot and held on to it firmly even as I attempted to kick his face.

Usually, I was really good at improvising my way out of a sticky situation in a really smart and cunning way, but drastic circumstances called for drastic actions. I couldn't use my magic as it was all drained by now and my whole body hurt so much it felt like I'd pass out any second. I only ran on adrenaline now and before I knew it, I had picked up one of the ceramic shards on the floor and slashed away wildly at the man's firm grip. Sure enough I must have stuck him because he let go screaming and holding his bloodied hand. I stumbled away from his reach and as I looked up from him, I could see the wife race out of the kitchen to come to her husband's aid. She must have been in on the whole thing and probably thought that her husband could handle the situation by himself, which he clearly couldn't. She saw what I had done and shot a hateful glance towards my direction which looked to wickedly angry that it made me a little anxious. I'd say she was trying to kill me with that look in her eyes, but what she was actually trying to kill me with was the eight-inch kitchen knife which she threw directly at me.

I have to confess, I would have probably died due to my inability to dodge the knife with my teleporting skills, had I not lost my balance due to my dizziness at that exact moment and stumbled across the room, catching myself on a glass vitrine, which fell to the floor as well, with all its contents in it. I looked at it and it almost pained me more to see these antiquities getting destroyed than the actual physical pain I was enduring right now.

I took one last glance at the man and his wife on the other end of the corridor, tipped my non-existent hat and said "I'll let myself out then. Pleasure to do business"

The woman was yelling obscenities after me but I pretended not to hear as I stumbled outside onto the street. I was in an insane amount of pain by now and I am not exactly sure how I managed to reach the gate in the giant petricite wall which outlined the Great City of Demacia. To the guard who was currently on duty, I must have looked like a disoriented teenager who had a drink or two too much and I was thankful for that.

"Rough night, eh?" he said, as if his tiny brain could in any way comprehend what I was enduring right now. Petricite potion really wasn't to be taken lightly. As a response, I bent over the railing and vomited right down the bridge. This only furthered his belief.

"Trust me, I've been there. Whoever the girl was who ditched you, she ain't worth drinking yourself senseless over."

This guy was beginning to get on my nerves. I usually didn't give a shit about stupid people, I mean, I didn't have to be them for the rest of my life, but didn't this guy know how to do his job? Guards were supposed to be guarding, not doing small talk. But since I didn't want to blow my cover, I played along and said: "They won't serve me at any bar inside, you know where I can get a drink outside the wall?" with little hiccups in between to make it believable.

The guard looked sceptical, unsure if he should really assist me in my quest to get even "drunker" than I already was, but then again, his job was to guard, not to save a drunk guy from himself.

"About five miles into that direction from here is a village with an inn, but if you want a piece of advice, kid, maybe you should spend your coin on a bed rather than a drink."

I ignored his "advice" and the fact that he called me a kid and made my way across the bridge. "He's not going to make it 5 miles" I heard the guard mutter under his breath which I pretended not to have heard. He would be right, although probably for all the wrong reasons.


	2. Chapter 2: Prejudice

**Thank you guys for sticking with me on this one! Here's chapter 2. I know it's a bit shorter than the last one but the next one will be a bit longer so bear with me please!**

Chapter 2

Prejudice

Lux

A little spark was sometimes all it took.

"Lady Crownguard"

I looked down at my hands, suppressing the light that was threatening to come through.

"Lady Crownguard"

It would be so easy to lose control. To just let it all out.

"Lady Crownguard!"

I took a deep breath and remembered my exercises. I made the light inside fade.

"_Lady Crownguard!_"

I spun around. There was a man calling out for me. My head spiraled back to reality as I extinguished the threat of my light to surface. I firmly looked at the man, a mage seeker, wearing the half-mask and demonian blue, and asked him: "What is it, Adept?" and offered a bright smile to hide my concern.

"You and the other radiant one's have been given clearance to enter." said the mage seeker and was clearly pleased as I smiled at him.

"Thank you Adept. We will take it from here and tend to the civilians." I hesitated. I was also told to pass on another order as soon as we had clearance but it pained me a little to give it out. "You and the other Adepts are to spread out and find as many of them as possible. They can't have gone far and some of them might still be hiding nearby. They tend to spread out on their escape and regroup at their headquarters."

Even though I didn't have a rank that allowed me to give out or pass on orders, I was respected enough for my title that people followed what I said. Being born into a prestigious family and being friends with the crown prince himself had its perks. But I wasn't here to tell people what to do, especially when it involved capturing and imprisoning mages. I was here to help the civilians who were injured during the attack and take statements from all the witnesses who were involved in the incident.

A few hours prior, word had arrived in the capital city that there had been an attack near Jandelle. Not an ordinary attack aimed to steal resources or money, but one that was intent on striking damage at the people of Demacia. It was a rebel attack. And while I secretly hoped that one day, Demacians would change their ways and learn to accept mages into their society, I did not agree with the methods of the rebellion. They were causing innocent people to get hurt in their vengeance against the system and say it was a sacrifice for the greater good. I thought, if people had to suffer for the cause then maybe we didn't deserve to achieve the greater good just yet.

Word was passed to the mage seekers and then to the illuminators to head down, evaluate the situation and take action immediately, direct orders from the crown. The Lightshield family was not intent on looking weak in this civil war, even though they refused to call it that. They referred to it with terms that rather incriminated the rebels. Terrorist attacks. The people at the top were afraid that the terms "civil war" or "revolution" might get people to join the rebel forces so they played it down and made it look like the rebels didn't have a chance anyway. Considering that no one actually knew how large their numbers currently were, no one really knew what the outcome would be.

So here I was, tending to the wounded civilians who had been involved in the attack. Fortunately, no one was confirmed dead yet, but the rebels had taken a few hostages and no one had received any sort of ransom letter. We could only pray for their wellbeing, although, regrettably, the rebellion has been known to have already taken hostages before only to kill them when they didn't have any use for them.

There were about twenty-five people who needed immediate treatment and the order only sent four of us. Kahuna's presence put my mind at ease a little and I managed to maintain my known positivity. The wounded needed some optimism and right now, I was the one who could provide it to them. While Kahina and I got to work immediately, the other two radiants hurried to put up a tent in which we could work in a more sterile environment, at least for the time being.

I knelt down next to a man who looked like both his legs had been struck by lightning. One would find that an odd injury, given that only his legs had been hit but I had already seen something similar and I was sure that the rebellion had a mage on their side who could fire lightning at their command. That mage didn't seem to be all too trained yet, he had only struck a small portion of the man's body and there would be scars, but he would be back on his feet soon enough.

I asked the man what he had seen as I began to treat the injury.

"It all happened so fast. They stormed in and used their... their... affliction to hurt us! They were trying to kill us all, I'm tellin' ya!"

I tried to calm the man down a little. „Take it easy. Try to remember what they looked like. What they could do with their afflictions. Was there anything exceptionally notable you saw? Anything at all?" I asked, trying to get some straight answers.

"Apart from the fact that there were god darn afflicted attacking the town?" he snapped, clearly still enraged. I dropped my smile and sighted, and the man's face suddenly shifted as he realized that I was only trying to help. "Well, if the information is any use to ya, Miss, I saw Sylas of Dregbourne with them. He's their leader, right?"

That information was indeed useful to me. If Sylas was with them, then this wasn't some aimless attack conducted by a separate group that sympathized with the rebels and wanted to support the cause. It meant that this attack was initiated by Sylas himself and that it had a certain purpose. So naturally, I was asking myself what that purpose could have been. Did they achieve it? Maybe they just wanted to see how close to the capital they could strike and still get away with it. Were they testing the limits? There was no doubt that they were planning to overthrow the system but we didn't know in what way they would try to work towards that goal.

"Thank you, that information is very valuable" I assured him and he seemed pleased that he could be of assistance. "Happy to help." he said "I just want my people to be safe from these abominations."

I flinched at that. Of course, the man didn't know I was afflicted as well and I did my best to hide it from the world, but it still hurt to be called an abomination.

"I understand" I told him and shot a radiant smile at him, even though I didn't feel like smiling anymore. I had to maintain posture. I couldn't let my secret get the better of me.

I finished up the treatment and the man's son helped him move a few feet so I could tend to the next patient.

Hours passed and as the sun began to set, we had treated all the injured and gathered as much information as possible. We hadn't heard back from the mage seekers and I hoped that they had caught none of the escapees. As much as I resented them for hurting innocent people, I did not wish it upon them to endure what most imprisoned mages had to. All I could think of were the words that Sylas had spoken to me when we met in his cell. The conditions he had to endure since he was just a boy. He was not even of age when they had imprisoned him deep down in the catacombs with petricite shackles so heavy that he could barely even move at first.

The towns people were returning to their homes, thanking us for our generous help. The illuminators were known to be very charitable in situations such as this current one. I was collecting my tools when all of the sudden, a swift movement caught my eye. I spun around, expecting one of the children to be playing around and having to tell them off. I had already put on a friendly smile when I noticed there was no child, well, not exactly, but instead a girl, who had dark hair and was barely older than myself. She had a wild look on her face and was focused solely on me. It was when I saw the little sparks falling from her palms that I noticed that the girl was afflicted. Not only that, she was the lightning mage that I had suspected to be with the rebels. She must have been hiding nearby the whole time. With the mage seekers searching outside the town, she didn't have a chance to escape yet so she must have just waited around until the coast was clear. But why would she reveal herself now? Was she trying to turn herself in? Did she feel bad for what she did?

When I wanted to tell her to go back to hide, she promptly cut me off, anger present in her voice as she spat at me. "You're Luxanna Crownguard."

I only nodded, very careful to not scare her so she'd panic and do anything that could reveal herself.

"You're the very definition of privilege. The rebellion despises people like you!" she yelled and before I could react, she had already shot a bolt of lightning towards me. I darted to the side but I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. She had hit me with her lightning and I was quite literally shocked. Kahina had noticed and rushed to my aid. "Lux, are you alright?" he asked and I could only grit my teeth in response. To be hit by a lightning spell was expectantly and incredibly painful.

"I'll make it, don't worry" I assured Kahina. The other two radiants had noticed as well and one ran after the girl who had dashed away as soon as Kahina had come in our direction and the other rushed into the nearby woods, probably intent on alerting the nearest mage seeker.

"We should have never allowed this to happen" Kahina said angrily but I put a hand on his arm to calm him. "She was just panicking. I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt me." I lied but Kahina wouldn't have any of it. "Don't defend her, Lux. She said she knew exactly who you were and she tried to kill you for that."

I wasn't sure if the girl was really trying to kill me in the name of the rebellion but I couldn't imagine that Sylas would order her or in fact anyone to do so in general. If he wanted me dead, he wouldn't have spared me at the day of his supposed execution. This incident must have happened on the girl's own initiative, thinking that she was doing what was right for their cause. „We should treat your wound and get you home" Kahina said and I didn't object. I wanted to stay and help the girl, even if she did attack me, she was still like me. But I knew to be rational and that I shouldn't risk exposure on me and disgrace on the order. Without a word, I let Kahina help me mount my horse and as swiftly as possible we made our way to High Silvermere.

"This is entirely ridiculous!" I protested as I watched my brother, Garen Crownguard, pace up and down inside my room. "Not to mention completely unnecessary!"

"It wasn't a question, Lux. I have already spoken to father and aunt Tianna about this and I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter." Garen answered and his firm voice told me, that there was nothing I could do about it.

I didn't care and tried anyway. "I don't need a babysitter. I can take care of myself!" I protested.

"I can see that", he said sarcastically, pointing to my injured shoulder.

"Come on. It's bad enough that mother and father have to be so protective of me. You of all people should know that I can defend myself."

"Lux, this is not about being able to protect yourself. Considering your fellow radiants report on the matter, these terrorists have clearly made an assassination attempt on you. This is for your own safety." he argued.

I let out an exaggerated sigh "How often do I have to say this? The girl was panicking. There is no proof that this was a planned assassination attempt."

"And yet, the exact words of the assassin were: 'you're Luxanna Crownguard, the rebellion despises people like you'"

I knew that the argument was lost either way. I grunted in defeat as I, like so many times before, had to just accept the choices my family had made for me.

"As my brother, aren't you supposed to be on my side?" I asked, rather rhetorically. I already knew what his answer would be.

"As your brother, I'm more concerned for your safety than I am for your comfort."

Of course. How predictable. This was so frustrating I could scream. Instead I just asked Garen to leave. He did and I fell into my bed, clutching the pillow to my chest. Why couldn't they just trust that I could defend myself against a non-existent threat? I wasn't a little girl anymore.

Of course I felt like this also was about something entirely else. I was 95% positive that they thought that if I was put under enough pressure or into a situation in which I was threatened enough to panic I would accidentally use my powers again and reveal my affliction. If only they would understand that I had my powers under control now. I wasn't in any way trained to use them like many of the mages who joined the rebellion learned to, but I could hide the light well enough and I was able to conceal it during even the riskiest situations.

I knew I couldn't tell my family that the currently most wanted criminal in the entire country was the one who had helped me achieve this, and it was so frustrating to just watch them make decisions even though they didn't really know the whole truth. There was no threat, neither of "another" assassination attempt nor of me risking exposure. I felt so helpless and frustrated at the fact that I was unable to confine in anyone, not even the people I was supposed to feel closest to.


	3. Chapter 3: Support for the Cause

**Hello! As promised, this chapter is a little longer! The 3rd issue of the Lux comic just came out, and so far, nothing is interfering with anything I have written yet, so that's a plus! Have fun reading the chapter, guys, and let me know if you enjoyed it!**

Chapter 3

Support for the Cause

Ezreal

I awoke with a massive headache. The sun was still visible so I couldn't have slept that long. I still couldn't access my powers and apparently the same case applied to my memories. I remembered walking out of the city and down the path into the nearby woods, but after that, everything got a little fuzzy. I must have blacked out at some point and judging by my surroundings, I must have walked quite a bit before I fainted.

I attempted to remove a leaf that was sticking to my face when I realized that I couldn't. For some reason, I couldn't seem to move my hands. Then I noticed the problem. Both of them were tied behind my back in a tight knot. I sighted loudly. Not again.

I must have been kidnapped when I was out and now I wasn't even able to use my abilities. Speaking of my abilities, my gauntlet was missing as well. Great. Another inconvenience I would have to fix on my way out of this god forsaken country. It was bad enough that in some areas there even was a curfew with the whole civil war that they had going on, but the fact that you couldn't even step outside without the possibility of being kidnapped for god knows what really took the cake.

Making a sound was what alerted the guy who seemed to be responsible for keeping an eye on me. As soon as he heard me sigh and then shuffle around, struggling to sit upright with my hands still tied to my back, the guy's attention was on me. His focus shifted and he called out to another person.

"He's awake, what do I do?"

Wow, okay. The group that had abducted me didn't even know what to do. I didn't know if I should be happy at the opportunity or take this as an insult.

"The hell do I know" I heard a different voice which couldn't have been that far away but I couldn't see the person it belonged to. "Sylas said we should kill all the hostages."

Sylas? That name rang a bell somewhere but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It must have been their boss though. Wait a second... did they say hostages? I was a hostage? But for whom? I didn't really know anyone in Demacia and the only way they could have found me was if they had randomly found me unconscious on the ground in the middle of the woods. Why take a hostage if you don't even know where to send the ransom note? That was just plain stupid.

It dawned to me that these people were complete imbeciles and really terrible at their illegal doings of abducting people. I grunted as I systematically moved my hands together and then apart from each other in order to loosen the knot. A nifty trick that came in pretty handy every now and them.

"He's just a kid, doesn't feel right" said the first guy. I now rolled my eyes and finally managed to scramble myself into a sitting position.

"Oh come on. I'm almost twenty-one. Why is everyone calling me a kid today. Should I maybe stop shaving? Would that do the trick?"

Guy number one stared at me in utter disbelief. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around my disrespectful manner I suppose. I came to the conclusion that facial hair would probably ruin my beautiful face and that the idea was crap so I banned it from ever entering my head again. Or at least for the next ten or so years.

"Okay" the first guy said, and the second one finally entered my field of view as well. The first one was rather tall and had dark reddish hair. The other one was quite petite and didn't seem that much older than me.. "I changed my mind. Is it okay to kill children if they're insufferable pricks?"

"I'm not a child for fucks sake. I pay my own bills and do my own taxes" they were both lies. I charged a lot of bills to my unknowing uncle and regularly committed tax fraud, but I simply said it to make a point. Although, to my credit, I actually did pay for my own medical expenses, as I often needed to go to a hospital immediately after my exploits in order to keep all my internal organs inside me. "Besides" I added "you might not want to murder me either way"

It was a semi bluff. I only planned to buy a little more time so I could plan my escape, but if all else would fail, I'd just tell them where to send the ransom note to, although my uncle probably wouldn't be too happy to bail me out of trouble again. That'd be important if I actually cared. The knot was loose enough now that I could slip my hands through, so technically, I could move them again. I was just waiting for the right moment now.

"What's that supposed to mean" the first guy said. The second one didn't really seem interested in participating in the conversation at all. He just stood there and watched. I shrugged.

"I guess if you kill me you'll never find out. Or maybe you will, but your boss won't be very intrigued, I can guarantee you that."

He furrowed his brow and grunted. Wow, this guy sure was gullible. What an idiot. Every time I travelled around these parts I got a feeling that Demacia in general was full of idiots. Or maybe my standards were just higher, literally having grown up in a city full of geniuses.

"Get Sylas" said the red haired man and the other one hesitantly set off. This could be my chance. Now that there was only him, It'd be easier to make my escape.

"So, what exactly is your guy's deal? Do you make a living from kidnapping people or do you also have a regular job?" I asked him, trying to distract him with random small talk. It seemed to work.

"Do you even realize your situation?" he asked. "You're literally about to die."

"Yeah sure, I've heard it all before. Can we talk about something else now? Except if your plan is to bore me to death, in this case, keep going, because it's working."

The man was utterly confused by my calm which was exactly what I was aiming for. I dropped the rope from my wrists to the ground but didn't move my hands just yet. I still had to find out where they had taken my stuff.

"What the hell is wrong with you. Are you drunk?" the man asked.

I rolled my eyes again. "I wish."

I was about to break open the topic about my stuff in a very sneaky manner, when the other guy came back accompanied by a rather muscular man, who, to my surprise, wore massive petricite shackles around his wrists with chains still attached to them. That definitely explained why his biceps was so prominent. He's literally been working out wearing these things.

I shook my head. Maybe thinking about this guy's workout routine wasn't the thing I should be doing right now.

All of the sudden, it came to me. Sylas. Of course. He was known to be a mass murderer and the guy who was currently leading the mage rebellion against the Demacian government. A dangerous criminal who would kill everyone who stands in his way. And looking at him, I could see why. The guy had this crazed look in his eyes and it made him seem pretty unstable. I was getting really uncomfortable vibes off of him.

"So tell me" said the man who was Sylas "what makes you so special that you think you should stay alive?" I could tell that this was more of a threat rather than an actual question and I immediately knew that talking to this man was a completely different matter than with the other two. I had to be careful with my words or I really might just end up in an early grave. "And don't bother if you're just going to say that you're from a wealthy and privileged family that could pay a handsome ransom price for your life. That will make me want to kill you even more." Sylas added with a grin that I would describe as borderline psychotic. This man definitely needed help, although I doubted that he'd get it anytime soon.

There went my only bargaining chip I had. I now had the choice of blowing my cover and confess that I'm not actually demacian, but where would the fun be in that? I had built up quite a persona for myself and I was enjoying my fake identity in Demacia to its fullest, I didn't intend on giving it up because of some manic jail escapee.

I forced the gears in my head to spin faster and come up with something smart to say. Meanwhile, Sylas stared me down, what made me quite nervous. "What is your name, boy?" he demanded to know. I was a little surprised that he cared.

I introduced myself with the name that I always wore while travelling in Demacia. "Jarro Lightfeather" I said, as always pretty proud to have come up with a name that sounded really Demacian but was actually also a literal joke, referencing the products I use for my hair.

"Ah yes. Jarro Lightfeather. Sentinel of Light if I'm not mistaken? I've heard about your heroic acts, though I have to admit, I didn't expect you to be so young."

Yeah, about that... I probably shouldn't mention that these were all acts that I had actually never performed. I just threw them into my fake résumé and somehow the word had spread that I was some sort of hero around these parts. Honestly, I didn't mind. Okay, maybe I even liked being called that, but that's not my point.

I took a deep breath and hoped that this wouldn't horribly backfire. "Yep, that's me" I said.

"You mindlessly fight for this oppressive country. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you on the spot, Jarro Lightfeather."

Apparently it was my turn to say something now, and, as stupid as I was, the best thing I could come up with was: "That'd be pretty inconvenient for me. Also, I already had a near death experience today, I'd prefer to keep it at that number."

The taller, red haired guy just shook his head as if he couldn't believe how dumb I was, and I could kinda relate. Sylas on the other hand seemed distracted by something else now, he just stared at me. Did I have something in my face? Why was he staring so intensely? I mean, okay, I get it, sometimes, people just can't help themselves but stare because I look so stunningly handsome, or at least that's what I kept telling myself, but this was different. He had noticed something.

"You're a mage" was all he said and I froze. How did he know? What gave it away? If the wrong person would have noticed, I would have been toast. But then I remembered. Sylas of Dregbourne was said to be able to detect the so called "afflicted" and had even worked for the country before he was put in jail for a triple homicide. He could literally see my magic by just looking at me. Which meant that the potion must have begun to wear off as well.

"But I don't understand. How couldn't I see it before?" he demanded to know.

I put some thought into it and came to the conclusion that now that the cat was out of the bag, there was no harm in saying it.

"Probably because of the petricite elixir I have been poisoned with. Nasty stuff, I have to say. Zero out of ten, would not recommend."

The following reaction I did not expect. Sylas just laughed. Out loud. It was a booming laughter and I could tell that he was laughing about me rather than my joke.

"How does one even manage to get into such a ridiculous situation?"

I was visibly confused now by the sudden change of his mood. Was I off the hook or was he just making fun of me before he'd go back to being a murderous psychopath?

"Uh..." I stuttered "Long story short, someone was trying to screw me over and steal all my stuff" which my kidnappers now had is what I refrained from adding...

"Listen up, Jarro Lightfeather" said Sylas after having laughed about me for a solid minute or so. „I am just going to ignore the fact that you're still pretending to be tied up, but if you try anything, you're a dead man, understand?" the threatening undertone in his voice made me nod, even though I didn't really want to give him the satisfaction of being the person who was in control of the situation. And how had he noticed that I freed my hands? Because I could tell that the other two hadn't realized it until Sylas mentioned it just now.

"Now., I'm going to make you an offer. I'm only going to offer this once so consider yourself lucky that you'll get this chance at all."

I kinda figured what would come next even before he had spoken the words that would inevitably come.

"Join our cause and your life will be spared. Refuse my offer and die."

Jeez, that guy wasn't kidding around. 'He's taking himself way too serious' I thought and it was kinda weirding me out. But this was actually perfect since it would present the easiest opportunity for me to get my stuff back. I pretended to consider his offer for about thirty seconds before I said: "You know what. I _am_tired of hiding my abilities away. I think it's time I stood up and fought for my freedom and my kin." I was putting it on thick but whatever. I wanted to sell the whole "demacian citizen" crap so I had to start acting like one of them if I wanted to seem believable. If I had wanted to become an actor I probably could have done so. I had both the looks and the talent for it, although watching theatre plays had always bored me to death. I still resented my uncle for making me go.

"But why would you want me in your ranks? You know absolutely nothing about me. You don't know what I can do and you especially don't know if you can trust me." I asked as it struck me as a little odd.

"Believe me, I don't trust you one bit. But the demacian military trusts you and having someone on the inside might prove very valuable." Sylas stated and most of it made sense. Although it was a very risky move on behalf of the rebels. If I actually was the person I pretended to be, there was absolutely no guarantee that despite being afflicted I wasn't loyal to the country. I could just gather information about the rebels and sell them out to the crown. Lucky for them, I couldn't care less about the conflict. I just wanted to get the hell out of here and go home. I was beginning to miss having a home cooked meal and a real bed.

"In this case, you will be treated as a semi-hostage" Sylas explained and I was unsure what to make of this, so I did the obvious thing and asked what the hell that was supposed to mean.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you won't be receiving any important information and you will be supervised around the clock until we can be sure that you can be trusted entirely." said Sylas and as much as I wanted to be offended, I understood that someone like him had every reason to distrust someone like me.

"And when might that be?" I asked, mixing a little bit of sarcasm into the question.

"That depends on where your loyalties lie." the red-haired guy intervened. I was 99.8% positive that this guy was absolutely not bemused by the idea of integrating me into their ranks. Lucky for him, I didn't plan on staying anyway. "And trust me, we will know" he added.

Yeah right, I thought to myself, you couldn't even tell that I had untied my hands right in front of you, dickhead.

"Can I at least get my things back, now that you have decided that I'm not a threat to you guys anymore?" I asked, feeling rather annoyed by now and pretty sure that this wasn't gonna work out quite the way I'd have liked it to.

Sylas didn't look all that intrigued by my request and was quick to deny it. "You are very much a threat to us and you will get your belongings back as soon as I have determined that you are not anymore."

Well shit. Now I had to actually invest time in this and gain their trust and all that crap. What a life. Uncle Lymere was gonna be so pissed...

It took about half a day to arrive at what the rebels called "the exiles' camp", which I expected to be exactly as pretentious at it sounded. On the way here they had actually made an effort to blindfold me so I wouldn't know the exact location of their headquarters. I would almost give them credit for being smart, if only it wasn't for the fact that I was a master pathfinder and could, with enough time and a map, identify my precise location.

"Do yourself a favor and don't resist" said the red haired guy as he tied a piece of cloth over my eyes so I couldn't see shit anymore.

"Oh, kinky" I said, intentionally being provocative. I didn't particularly dislike the guy, but if he was going to be rude to me, then I wasn't going to silently take it. My ego, which I have been told several times by various sources was pretty massive, wouldn't allow it.

"You're pretty stupid aren't you?" was the guy's response. I realized that I was beginning to get to him.

"Pretty? Yes. Stupid? No, sorry, by all means, that's you." by the following silence I could tell that he was gonna leave it at that. Score, I thought. One to zero for me.

"Isn't this somewhat against your policies and ideals?" I asked, as I was being escorted through the woods with my eyes blindfolded and my hands retied behind my back. "I mean, I don't mind, really, if that's what you guys are into, but aren't you kinda against this whole 'taking prisoners' thing?"

"It's just a precaution" explained a voice to me and I guessed that it was the other guy who was about my age. "You're not a prisoner, you're a recruit. If you don't double cross us, you have nothing to worry about."

"Oh, I wasn't really worrying, just wondering." I responded. I could tell that the younger guy seemed nice enough so I decided not to pick a verbal fight with him as well, even though I would have totally won it.

When we arrived at the exiles camp, my blindfold was finally removed and I was able to see again. What was referred to as "the exiles' camp" was nothing more than a few tents here and there and a shitload of people going about their business and loitering about all hidden deep inside what I assumed to be the mountain range near the border of Demacia.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me" I exclaimed, more to myself rather than anyone else, really. I turned to Sylas. "This is your supposed movement? This is nothing but a disorganized mess."

"I don't recall asking for your opinion, Lightfeather" Sylas spat while shoving me forward as if I couldn't walk myself. Now that I was sure that they needed me and probably wouldn't try to kill me over a simple verbal disagreement, I felt a bit bolder.

"I know you're going for this whole anarchy theme and shit, but you can't be a movement against an oppressive regime without structure."

Before one of us could say another word, a woman, probably in her late twenties approached us. "Sylas!" she shouted as she ran towards us. "Sylas, we thought your group would not return." she said, entirely out of breath.

"There was a holdup" Sylas explained, motioning into my direction. "New recruit. Took him a while to wake up hence to why we arrived late."

"Is Maren with you?" the Woman asked. Her hair was golden, just like mine and her worried eyes were an interesting shade of green. She completely ignored what Sylas had just said about me as if she couldn't care less.

"No, she was supposed to be with your group. Did she not return?" their leader asked and I was surprised at how empathetic he seemed towards his people while he was so harsh towards me.

The look on the golden haired woman only got more worried.

"We got separated... do you think they could have captured her?" I realized that she was beginning to panic.

"There is no way to tell" Sylas responded. "We have to assume the worst."

"Then we need to go and rescue her!" the golden haired woman was in tears now. This Maren girl must have meant quite a lot to her.

"We can't do that I'm afraid. As much as I want to, commencing a rescue mission for a single one of us is simply too much of a risk."

Blondie wouldn't have it.

"She would do the same for us! Please, Sylas, you know that she has always been committed to the cause!"

"That's not the point!" Sylas' voice was now slightly more authorative than before and it made the woman flinch. "The point is, we don't even know if Maren has been captured or if she just can't return right now. Hell, she might be dead for all we know. We can't send our people on a rescue mission for someone who might or might not be in the capital, do you understand?"

She didn't answer.

"Do you understand?" Sylas repeated.

The blonde was in tears and I actually felt a little sorry for her. I looked at Sylas and asked him: "May I?". Without waiting for his answer, I knelt down to the woman who was near a complete meltdown and had sunken to the floor. Sylas was probably a good leader and an inspiration to all of the rebels, but he lacked something that I had, aside from good looks, of course. Charisma.

"Hey, uh... I'm sorry, what's your name?"

Between sobs, she managed to say: "Kara".

"Look, Kara. It's gonna be fine, trust me. Your friend is possibly out hiding somewhere until the mage seekers are tired and leave. She will be okay."

"Girlfriend" Kara sobbed.

"I'm sorry?" I asked, a little confused.

"Maren is my girlfriend. Not just my friend." she clarified. That would explain why she was so upset. It also ruled out the option of hooking up with her in the future. Don't call me insensitive, I was just thinking ahead, okay?

"Well, Kara, I'm sure your girlfriend will be here in no time. And if she won't, we will find her. After all, we're going to free our people, aren't we?" I gave her my warmest and most empathetic smile that I had in store.

Kara stopped sobbing and looked at me with big, green eyes. "Yes" she nodded and I could tell that my words had at least given her a little bit of comfort. If I was good at one thing besides being the world's best explorer, it was talking to ladies. This was no exception. After a few more comforting pats on the shoulder and a thank you from her, Kara hurried off back to one of the tents.

I got back up, noticing that Sylas was looking at me, clearly bemused by my display of social skills.

"Well well, Jarro Lightfeather. It looks like you're good for something after all."


	4. Chapter 4: Choice

**OH BOY! No, I haven't forgotten about this little project of mine, I just wanted to wait until all the Lux issues were out so I wouldn't make too many mistakes writing this! I'm sorry you had to wait this long, but I will try to update more frequently! As always, Feedback is much appreciated and please, enjoy!**

Chapter 4

Choice

Lux

If there was one thing that bothered me most about my family, it was that they felt the constant need to make decisions for me and to control my life. I understood that as a part of the Crownguard family, there were a few things that I had to mind, a few rules that I had to play by, but not having a say in my own engagement? How was that in any way fair? Garen didn't have to marry someone that our family chose for him, so why did I? I didn't see it as befitting that nowadays, tactical marriages were still happening. I felt like they had to be real desperate to somehow make all their problems just go away simply by being privileged and I honestly found it ridiculous.

So naturally, I wasn't really fond of the whole idea that now they also had me suspended from work for I don't even know how long.

"Consider it a vacation" aunt Tianna had said. Yes, real nice, a vacation in which I am not even allowed to go outside because my family fears that I'm going to be murdered as soon as I take one step outside Crownguard manor. I mean, do they even realize how stupid that sounds? Why would the rebels even risk putting themselves in such a dangerous situation just to kill one girl who doesn't even have that much of an impact on the political world. They were being paranoid and they refused to see reason or act in any way logical.

So here I was, trying to keep myself busy while waiting for the inevitable to come, another choice that had been made for me. I was getting a personal guard before I could even think of going outside again. This was probably the part that annoyed me most. The fact that they thought I was too weak to defend myself on my own. I expected at least Garen to understand that even without my abilities, I was still capable of fighting off any fool who would try to mess with a Crownguard.

But did anyone listen to me? No, of course not, I was just the naive little girl who allowed the country's most dangerous criminal to escape and start a civil war. In a way, it was true, but people had to understand, that if it wasn't for their radical view towards mages, things like that never would have happened in the first place. I sighted. Who am I to even talk? I probably caused that girl near Jandelle to get hurt, or even worse, captured by the mage seekers. I felt like an idiot and the thought of it wouldn't let me sleep properly.

I was pulled out of my thoughts and back to reality by a shy knock on the door. It was one of the maids who didn't enter, only said: "Miss, you have a visitor downstairs in the atrium. Your mother insists you come and greet him" I could hear her careful steps as she walked away almost immediately after delivering the message.

I was curious. Who would visit me? The only way to find out was to head downstairs, and I decided to pretend that it was my choice to do so and not my mothers.

I let out a surprised gasp when I reached the atrium and saw my brother's and my childhood friend, prince Jarvan waiting. Well, I suppose it's king Jarvan now, I thought to myself. It was strange, seeing him as that. He had always been the crown prince to us and I never actually thought the day would come when we'd call him anything else but that.

I remembered to compose myself. "Your majesty..." I uttered, not trying to hide my surprise at his visit "What a surprise!"

"Please" He answered "No need for formalities. I don't want me being the King now to stand in the way of the familiarity we've always enjoyed." I nodded. Of course he'd say that.

"What brings you to High Silvermere? Shall I have a maid get my brother?" I asked curiously.

"Oh no, I am not here to see him. I actually came to speak with you, Lux." That was also quite untypical. Jarvan and I were friends but he and Garen have always been much closer, having trained together for many years. They had enjoyed a long and healthy friendship, and while I was always welcome in their company, I was never as close as they were.

"Me?" I looked at him, not sure whether I should be pleased or anxious.

"Yes" he clarified "would you care for a walk in the garden?"

I nodded. I couldn't exactly say no, not even if I wanted to.

I led him through the atrium into the garden, even though he knew the way by himself. He had been here quite often throughout our teenage years. He held the door open for me when we stepped onto the terrace and I silently thanked him with a nod and a smile. I wasn't one for the kind gender based behavior, but with the pr–... the king, I knew I should behave lady like, or the maids would possibly tell on me. That, and I knew I shouldn't put pressure on my still injured shoulder.

"It is strange how the sun can still shine like nothing has happened." said Jarvan as we began our stroll on the little pathway that led through colourful fields of flowers and carefully trimmed hedges. "I wish we could end all this in one strike. Rid Demacia of all the mages once and for all."

I tried to hide my displeasure at his words. Instead, I asked: "What did you want to speak about, Jarvan?"

His gaze wandered to the flowers and for a short moment I thought he hadn't heard me asking at all. Then he turned his head back to me and said: "Our engagement was not made with your consent, was it?" It was not. I didn't want to tell him that I never wanted to wed him, at least, not in this way, he was my friend after all, and his feelings mattered to me. But as a friend, I also felt the duty to be truthful with him. He deserved to know how I felt.

"No" I confessed. I wanted to add something comforting but I didn't know what to say.

"I understand" Jarvan's gaze went back to the scenery. He was behaving strangely mature and it was a little strange to see him act that way. But his father had just passed away and I was sure that having to take a lot of responsibilities that he was not yet ready for had changed a little part of him.

"Listen, Jarvan..." I began, unsure how to phrase what I wanted to say "it's just that... I was overwhelmed with the word that suddenly I was supposed to wed a man who I had always considered a very close friend of mine. It's not like I don't like you, not at all, it's just that I have never thought about you in this way. I was – and still am not aware how I feel about the subject of us being more than just friends. I want you in my life, I just don't know if this is the way I want it to be."

Jarvan silently kept staring at the flowers. It's like he had built up a facade since the events in the crown city had taken place and he was trying very hard to be the king the people needed now.

"Since... since I am in command now I have the power to call it off. The engagement, I mean. Would that be in your interest?" he asked and I noticed the slightest tremble in his jaw. _Yes_, I wanted to scream, _yes, please, I'm tired of not being able to decide my own fate!_

"Don't worry, I would not tell your family that it was you who asked me to revoke my proposal. I will tell them that with the recent events that have transpired, now is not a good time for me to choose a bride." It was almost scary how fore coming he was.

"Jarvan. That would mean the world to me" is what I settled to say, hoping that I would not hurt him by doing so. I searched his face for emotion to give away any indication of how he felt about this, but he didn't let his facade slip.

"Just... know, that if you were ever to change your mind, I would not hesitate to take you as my bride, Luxanna."

My heart stopped for a split second. Was this a confession? Did he genuinely... love me?

I could only manage to nod, but after a few seconds of silence, I felt bad for staying quiet, and shyly said: "I appreciate your offer, Jarvan, I really do. Thank you. For doing this for me. I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"It's what friends do, isn't it? And in this war, one will need every friend they can get"

Jarvan declined my offer of staying the night at Crownguard manor and waiting until morning to ride back to the capital. He had important matters to attend to, which he had made very clear, so he couldn't afford to stay. I would have been surprised at this point, if anyone would be willing to stay and listen to my concerns. But I didn't want to be ungrateful. By calling off the wedding, he had done me an enormous favour which I would be sure to repay at the closest opportunity.

So I was alone for the time being. Well, almost. Garen was dead set on temporarily doing the personal guard job until we'd hire someone with a "suitable skillset", as aunt Tianna had put it. I didn't even try to fight it anymore. There was no use and I'd only end up wasting my energy, which I could use on a lot more useful occupations.

I had tried practicing my magic with the new wand I had been gifted by a few mages I had helped escape the capital city several weeks ago. I never had a wand before and I had to say, it worked really well for me. Channelling my powers into an object that could direct it really helped me focus my light beams more precisely and enhanced their intensity immensely. Garen noticed but pretended that he didn't mind, though I knew that deep down he still hadn't forgiven mages for what they had done to our family and our beloved city. But I couldn't pretend to be something I am not just so he wouldn't feel uncomfortable. I already had to hide my gift from the rest of the world, I needed to be able to confide in at least one person, even if I was acting a little selfish in doing so.

"Lux" Garen said to me while I was aiming for a self-made target I placed onto the wall across from my bed "I know you're trying to embrace who you are, and I respect that. But do you really have to do that here?"

I didn't bother to look away from my target. I was still angry about the whole personal guard matter and that he didn't even consider that I was able to defend myself, even though I was delivering a perfect display of that fact almost every day. "Where else would I be doing it, Garen? Outside? Oh wait, that's right. I'm not allowed to go there. Thanks to you." I was lashing out at him and I didn't care. If my family wanted me to be "safe", wanted to protect me from a non-existent threat, fine, but Garen questioning my only way of being productive while I was basically grounded made me want to hit something. So I did. I concentrated on my power and fired a light beam right at the target.

"That's not fair, and you know it. I'm only trying to protect you" Garen protested. I had heard it a hundred times before.

I knew he was. But he didn't realize that he was taking my freedom from me in the process. I settled on saying nothing. I felt like shouting but I didn't want to take my anger out on my brother any more than I already did, so instead, I fired a second blast of light.

"You know how mother and aunt Tianna would react if they found out about what you're doing in here" Garen continued. "I don't want you to get into trouble, Lux."

"Let them find out" I hissed. "What are they gonna do, call the mage seekers on me? Throw me out?" I knew I was being unreasonable but what did it matter anyway?

"You know I won't be doing this job forever. Eventually, you're going to get a new personal guard and it would be best, if they didn't know about your..." he stopped, but I knew what he had wanted to say.

"My affliction. You still think of it as that, don't you?"

"Lux, I didn't mean to–..."

"You didn't mean to do what, Garen? Call me an abomination?"

"You know that's not what I meant"

"But it is what you said."

"Lux, you're twisting my words around. I don't think of you as that, you're just angry and confused"

„Oh, I'm angry, for sure, but I am _not_ confused. Why can't you just see that all these people want is to live in peace?"

"Murdering the king and destroying the city is not something a lot of people would consider peaceful" he argued.

"I know that, okay? I don't agree with their methods either, but it never would have happened if demacians weren't so hostile against mages in the first place! It's not like I don't know what Sylas encourages the other mages to do!"

Garen sighed in defeat. He knew I wouldn't keep quiet about the injustice happening in our country any longer.

"I just want everyone to be safe" I said, calmly this time.

"Me too, Lux" he said. "But you cannot save everyone."


	5. Chapter 5: Lady Crownguard

**Good news, everyone! I'm not dead! I've just been super lazy but last night I decided I'm gonna finish this chapter so y'all can read it! Enjoy, and as always, feedback is much appreciated!**

Chapter 5

Lady Crownguard

Ezreal

So it turns out that the rebellion didn't really know what they were actually doing. I imagined a lot of things, but nothing could have prepared me for what I ultimately found. There was no base of operations or a beginners guide to overthrowing an oppressive government. The exile's camp was quite literally just a camp. There was most likely a plan but I doubted that there were actual resources to execute it and I wasn't really told what was going on either. All of this was nothing but a huge mess and as sorry as I felt for it, I was under the impression that this revolution didn't really have a chance of going anywhere. Sure, they had half the people of Demacia on their side, but it became a bit problematic with Sylas' no-leadership philosophy. I got what he was trying at and I also understood that it was mostly symbolic, but if I knew one thing about politics, it was that bringing symbolism into it was stupid. I mean, yeah, okay, you don't want to be a hypocrite, I can understand that, but having a mob consisting of literally half the demacian population without anyone on top to hold it all together? That sounded pretty damn stupid to me, if I do say so myself. At some point you have to cut your losses if you want to make it anywhere, and the fact that a twenty-year-old guy from Piltover with no experience on warfare whatsoever knew that better than the man who had actually initiated the demacian civil war was kind of sad.

Anyway, there wasn't really any use in ranting about this right now. As stupid as I thought this rebellion was, right now, I had to pretend to be part of it. I had been participating in this so-called "operation" for a solid week and needless to say, I was pretty pissed by now. My hair looked like shit because the only way to wash myself here was to walk a few miles to a nearby lake with a tiny piece of soap all under the constant surveillance of at least two trusted members of the rebellion. That's right. Two dudes were always watching me while I was butt naked trying to scrape the dirt off my skin. I wouldn't mind if it were one or two of the pretty girls that I saw at camp on one or the other occasion, but the rebels were pretty set on only sending guys to watch me clean up.

Like the soap, all food supplies were rationed so aside from looking like one of the zaunite street kids, I was also constantly hungry. And I didn't even volunteer for this bullshit like the rest of these idiots.

So I was dirty, tired and occasionally hangry, and I felt like everybody in this god damn camp hated me for not being as enthusiastic about freedom fighting as they were. I was really close to breaking to them that I didn't give two shits, that I didn't even live in Demacia. I didn't even live _near_ Demacia. I wanted to go home and live my privileged life for like, a week until I'd probably get tired of helping my uncle out at the museum and set sail for another adventure. But anything was better than this.

So naturally, when Sylas had me ordered into the main tent at 3 o' clock in the morning, I made sure to let it show how god damn pissed I was at literally everything. That guy had the nerve, the audacity to call me here when I have had only two hours of sleep and half a slice of bread. I was so ready to flip the fuck out on him, I almost forgot that I was trying to gain their trust.

"Good, you're here" Sylas spoke before I had the chance to start ranting about everything that was wrong with his entire organization. He was standing at the other end of a giant table which was covered with maps and pins. What an idiot. One glance at the map in front of him and I had figured out the camps exact location. I guess sneaking into the cartography lectures at the university finally paid off. "I have a mission for you."

That caught me off guard. A mission?

"You mean, as in actually running an errand for the rebellion?" I was a little perplexed and forgot to be mad for a few seconds. "That early? I thought you guys didn't trust me?"

"Don't let it go to your head, kid, we don't have much of a choice. This is the only opportunity we have at doing this"

I couldn't guess what he was planning. This sounded very ominous.

"Jeez Louise, can you stop being dramatic already? Whatever you need me to do, I'll get it done. I'm actually pretty good at what I do, remember?"

I didn't think I'd ever see Sylas roll his eyes in annoyance, but when he actually did, I felt a little insulted. "I suggest you take this a little more serious, Lightfeather."

I didn't bother answering that. Instead I went straight back to the topic at hand. "So what's the mission? Do I have to go fight someone to the death? In that case, I'm gonna need my gauntl–"

"Don't get your hopes up. You're not going to fight anyone. This is an infiltration mission."

"Infiltration? What makes you think I'm any good at that?" Yeah, I was pretty terrible at being stealthy and I had no problem admitting to it. Going in, guns blazing was more my style. Or, well, shuriman power gauntlet blazing, in my case.

"Sometimes I ask myself how you ever got that title of yours" Sylas sighted. 'Simple', I thought. 'I didn't'.

"I don't think you're good at it, loud and obnoxious as you are, but your position in the military will make it a lot easier for us to get you where you need to be." Ah shit. I knew this would come back to bite me in the ass.

I opened my mouth to ask what exactly I was going to infiltrate, but Sylas cut me off again. "You're to infiltrate Crownguard manor in High Silvermere. More specifically, I need you to keep an eye on three individuals. Tianna, Garen and Luxanna Crownguard are our primary targets."

"Wait wait wait. Lemme get this straight" This time, I was the one to cut him off. "Garen Crownguard? Are you insane? Isn't that guy in the Vanguard? Look, I am capable of lots of things, but messing with the Dauntless Vanguard? No offense, but I'd like to live a little longer."

"Aren't you a hero among the Sentinels?"

"Uhh, yeah but the Vanguard is like, super elite? And they have petricite armor! I wouldn't stand a chance. I'm not saying I'm lacking skill or anything, all I'm saying is that these guys have an unfair advantage."

"That's why you're not going to fight them. You're going to spy on them and report your observations back to me."

"And how would I do that without them noticing?"

I could see that Sylas was slowly losing his patience. "If you would stop interrupting me for once then you would already know."

I answered that with provocative silence. Sylas cleared his throat before he explained.

"There's an open position. The Crownguard family is looking to hire a capable personal guard for young Luxanna. With your background, it is pretty much assured that you will get the job once they receive your application."

"Woah woah woah, what do you mean 'receive?' You've already sent it without my consent?" I couldn't believe it. The audacity...

"You joined the resistance, isn't that consent enough to do anything it takes to free the mages of Demacia? Tell me, Jarro Lightfeather, do you not care for these people?" He motioned to the tents entrance, most likely referring to everyone outside. "These are our people, and we fight for their freedom. They fight for ours. Is your temporary consent to take a job not a small price to pay for the freedom of thousands of people?"

I sighted. "Yeah yeah, calm down, I'll do it, just shut up please, I didn't come here for a dramatic speech. Yikes."

Sylas looked like he was completely done with my bullshit so I decided to just leave it be. "So when do I get started?"

Half a week and a briefing later I was now standing at the gate of Crownguard manor. I had first received specific instructions by Sylas and had now been briefed on what I was supposed to be doing as a personal guard by Tianna Crownguard. I had to admit, that woman was actually scary. She practically radiated authority and I had to take notice how no one dared to speak during my job interview. She kind of reminded me of someone back in Piltover, a woman they called the Grey Lady whom I had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting during one of my unapproved exploits within the city. Spoiler alert, I had managed to escape with my life. Barely.

As Sylas had predicted, I of course got the job. Tianna had said that the interview was a mere formality, since my résumé made it obvious that I was overqualified for the job anyway. I mean, who'd be more qualified to guard their youngest family member than famous national hero Jarro Lightfeather. Oh, if only they knew...

Tianna motioned for me to follow her inside. I made sure to maintain composure, which wasn't usually my style, but I reminded myself that I only had to do this until the resistance trusted me enough to give me my things back.

"Call for Luxanna, would you" Tianna calmly instructed the maid. Even when she spoke so calmly, you had to be a fool to not notice the authority in her voice. The maid bowed her head slightly and hurried up the stairs of the massive atrium.

I knew the Crownguard family was very influential in all of Demacia (yes, even I do my research every now and then) but I still wasn't prepared for the extravagance of the family residence. I had grown up as the son of two esteemed archaeologists and the as the nephew of an important professor of the Piltover University, so naturally, I had always lived a pretty privileged life. But my comfortable living conditions cowered in the shadow of this monstrosity of a residence. I couldn't believe it was even legal to be this rich.

In contrast to my last clients' residence, the hall of Crownguard manor was barely decorated at all. The wall facades were rimmed with intricate carvings and there was an enormously large family portrait above the isle where the stairs parted in the middle of the atrium, but other than that, there was nothing to fill the oversized room, except for me, Tianna and two guards.

I recalled my instructions in my head once more to make sure to keep them in mind. I was to accompany Luxanna Crownguard everywhere she went and keep every person who looked even slightly suspicious as far away from her as possible. Apparently, there had been an assassination attempt on the young Lady Crownguard, although Sylas hadn't mentioned anything of the sorts. I wondered if he had planned it all along. A failed assassination attempt in order to infiltrate a high ranking family. But he couldn't have predicted the Crownguards reaction now, could he?

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a soft but high pitched voice from the upper half of the atrium.

"You called for me, aunt Tianna?"

I looked up and was immediately mesmerized. There she was. Luxanna Crownguard. Damn. They didn't tell me she looked like that.

"Yes, I did. I want to introduce you to Jarro Lightfeather, former Sentinel of Light. He will be your personal guard from now on." I stood up straight and nodded my head once in her direction. I didn't want to be this stiff but I couldn't afford to appear unprofessional in front of my employer.

"Aunt Tianna, I told you, I don't need–" Luxanna didn't get the chance to finish her sentence.

"This is not only for your safety, Lux. You've been stepping out of line quite a lot lately, so consider yourself under surveillance, young Lady. We cannot afford to risk the family's reputation because of your little escapades."

Yeesh, that was quite harsh. I mean I knew that some families didn't have the best internal relations. I myself had to learn it the hard way, having been moved to a less affectionate environment after my parents had disappeared when I was just a kid. Don't get me wrong, my uncle did what he could to raise me, but it was never quite the same as it was with mom and dad. Uncle Lymere had never asked for a child to raise and it often showed that he was simply overwhelmed with the task of taking care of a growing teenager. I knew I sometimes seemed ungrateful that he took me in, hell, even most of the time, but I really wasn't. I just had a hard time adjusting to the situation that I often tried to distract myself by being the rebellious teenager that I was. I guess it was some kind of defence mechanism inside my brain or whatever. I'm an adventurer, not a psychologist, so what do I know.

But enough sentiment, I was here to do a job, not have childhood flashbacks.

Luxanna frowned but didn't try to object anymore. I could tell that she had exhausted the trust and tolerance of her aunt, but I also had a feeling that the standards she had to live up to weren't exactly lose.

"Now, if you would be so kind and show him to the staff's quarters." Tianna said. It was phrased like a request, but it was obviously an order. This woman was clearly in charge here.

"Yes, Aunt Tianna" Luxanna sighted in defeat. This didn't seem to be the first time she was put down like this. "Jarro Lightfeather, was it? Come, I'll show you around."

"So, Luxanna it is, right? It's uh… it's nice to meet you. I'm Ez– eerrr, I mean Jarro. But, uh, you already know that. Obviously." Great. Not only had I almost accidentally revealed my real name but also made an utter fool out of myself within the first five minutes of meeting Luxanna. I was an idiot. And I didn't even understand why I was being one. Sure, she was pretty, but nothing to freak out over.

We were walking down the hall of the second floor. This hallway was a little bit livelier than the one at the entrance but it still felt a little cold for a home. I shrugged. Might as well be the petricite walls that made me feel so uneasy.

"Uh, so what are you showi–"

She flung around to face me for the first time. She didn't look impressed. At all. "Just so you know, I don't need you to babysit me. I'm fairly capable of protecting myself." Her words were carefully chosen and her way of talking was pristine, like you would expect it to be from a person of her origin.

"Wow, okay. Way to tell a guy to fuck right off." I said, faking disappointment.

She grunted in frustration. "See, this is what I mean. Just because I get injured once, my whole family seems to go into emergency state and thinks I need protection from a non-existent threat. And that's not even the worst part."

I raised an eyebrow. "What _is_ the worst part?" I asked.

"The fact that the guy they hired doesn't even take his job seriously."

I was a bit taken aback by that. "Okay, ouch."

I didn't know why she was so angry at me. Technically I was just doing my job.

I tried to change the topic in order to cool her temper a little.

"So, what do you normally do all day? You got a job or…"

She hesitated a little before saying: "I'm with the Illuminators."

"The what now?" I was genuinely confused.

"Really? You're a Sentinel and you've never heard of the Illuminators? The radiant ones?"  
I shook my head. "Doesn't ring a bell."

She looked tired. "We're a charity organization dedicated to helping those in need."

"Oh, okay, I get it. So you're in a cult."

She stopped abruptly, looking very offended.

"It's not a cult. It's a religious order which helps the sick and the poor. I simply volunteered to be a member."

I waved her off. "That's just a fancy way of saying you're in a cult."

"It's. Not. A. Cult!"

"Yeah right. So what do you do all day? Do you eat baby's and sacrifice virgins?" I was being provocative on purpose now. Maybe I could try to lift a spirits at least a little. Or at least have her be mad at me for being me instead of being the guy her family hired for her protection against her will.

"Well, I haven't sacrificed you yet, have I?"

It took me a few seconds to get the joke.

"Touché, Luxanna." I had to resist to chuckle but I couldn't hide the grin on my face.

"That's Lady Crownguard to you." She tried to sound authorative but her high pitched voice didn't really help her case.

"Alright alright. But just for your information, I'm not a Vi–"  
"I don't care. For the celestials' sake, please spare me that information." She was trying to conceal it but I could detect the slightest hint of a smile on her face. I congratulated myself on successfully diffusing the situation and lifting the tension.

"Okay, Lady Crownguard. Whatever you say."


	6. Chapter 6: Hydrangeas and Hyacinths

**Surprise! I'm not dead! Just very busy. But I finally managed to finish this chapter. I'm hoping you'll enjoy it and as always, feedback is very much appreciated!**

Chapter 6

Hydrangeas and Hyacinths

Lux

I always enjoyed the quiet of the Garden in the morning. When no one except the staff was up yet, Crownguard Manor seemed like a place I could feel safe at, even though I had to admit I felt a little bad for thinking that to myself. They were my family after all.

The morning dew on the flowers looked incredibly beautiful and it made me feel at peace a little. I almost didn't want to end the sight of it, but it hadn't rained in quite a while and the flowers needed watering. A calming, almost therapeutic exercise which was the one thing I insisted on tending to while I wasn't allowed to ride back to the capital. "That's what the staff is for" aunt Tianna always said, not wanting me to dirty my hands and knees in the flower beds, and although I appreciated her concern, I was sure that it wasn't towards me but the Crownguard reputation, which made me enjoy the task even more. It felt so… down to earth to do something as mundane as watering the flowers in the garden.

I found the watering can next to the pond where I could fill it with water. I didn't fill it up all the way, as always, since I liked taking my time with this. My petite statue only allowed me to carry so much. I did have combat training, Kahina had taught me, but that was more about speed and precision rather than heavy lifting. Speaking of Kahina, I missed him a little. It was in this garden that we had often sparred to improve my combat skills. I smiled at myself at the thought of the cherished memory before I lifted my watering can to water the hydrangeas.

"Need help with that?"

Startled, I spun, accidentally dropping my can in the process. The water spilt all over the gravelled path.

"Better be careful."

I grunted. "When did _you_ get here, Jarro Lightfeather." It wasn't really a question and he understood that perfectly. The smug idiot answered anyway.

"Oh, I just arrived. You know, you're not making this easy for me, _Lady Crownguard_." He put emphasis on the last two words, as if he humoured the fact that I instructed him to not call me by my first name.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said, picking up my can and refilling it. I knew exactly what he was talking about. I was avoiding him on purpose. I purposefully rearranged my schedule so I could evade my guard's watch for a little every now and then.

He sighted, although he seemed rather amused than defeated. "You're gonna cost me my job, you know…" _As if_, I thought. Tianna made it rather clear that she was very content with her choice as to who would pose as my guard.

"I'm sorry but I do not really care." I stated, tending to the hyacinths. "I'd rather have you respect my privacy and not follow me around."

"You know I can't do that." Jarro responded in a sing-song voice.

"Maybe that's why I'm trying to get you fired."

He laughed at that. Actually laughed. It made me furious.

"C'mon, Lux, you're breaking my heart here." He said, but I could hear the big idiotic smile on his face.

"It's Lady Crownguard! I'll have you know that your behaviour is most unprofessional. You would do well to learn on how to behave around the members of the Crownguard family." I wouldn't usually say anything as elitist as this, I absolutely resented using my family name as a way to get what I wanted, but this guy was getting on my nerves.

"I most humbly apologize." Said Jarro Lightfeather, still grinning as if he was the one in control of the situation. "I should have watched my tongue in the presence of thou, fair Lady Crownguard." He mocked.

"Okay, stop that." I replied, rather annoyed now.

"I am afraid I cannot stop that, for it is the truth."  
"You're being ridiculous."

"Oh, but fair Lady Crownguard, is it not that, my humorous nature, which you like most about me?"

"No, I don't. You're embarrassing yourself."

"I'm joking, I'm joking." He laughed. Then his face went dead serious for a second and he added: "or shall I say: I jest, my Lady, I jest."

That was it. Did he really think he could just mock me like that? I held my can in both hands and emptied the rest of its content in Jarro Lightfeathers face. The water (and the shock) finally wiped that stupid grin off his annoyingly attractive face.

"What was that for?" he almost whined.

"What? Never heard of classical conditioning? You know, with the water spray bottle?" now it was me who was looking smug. Two can play at that game, my friend.

"You call that spray? Do you have any idea how long it took me to do my hair?"

Oh boo-hoo princess, I thought. Served him right, the self-centred prick.

"Why do you hate me so much?" he asked, wiping wet strands of his blond hair out of his face. "I'm just doing what I'm being paid for, you know."

I lifted an eyebrow at him. "I didn't know being awfully annoying was a paid job nowadays."

He looked a little frustrated now, which made me feel slightly triumphant.

"Okay, I know you didn't ask for this, but you have to work with me here. I need to pay my bills, too." He exclaimed.

I shrugged and refilled my watering can. "Then maybe you should stop being so unprofessional."

He looked like he wanted to say something but ultimately didn't respond. My anger died down and I felt a little bad for being mean. When did I start taking my anger out on people who aren't responsible for how thing are? Although, I had to admit, his personality was awfully infuriating. No, he definitely deserved it.

Shaking my head, I decided not to dwell on it and instead turned my attention to the roses. Their petals were turning dry.

* * *

"What happened to you?" Garen asked, raising an eyebrow as I returned inside, Jarro always walking a few feet behind me. I was confused, since Garen knew I would tend to the garden and get dirt on my hands every now and then. It only occurred to me that he wasn't talking to me when Jarro was the one to answer the question.

"I slipped and fell in the pond. The stones are treacherous."

That was an obvious lie. Not only to me, who knew what really happened, but also to everyone else, as only his hair and shirt were soaked. Garen just nodded though, as if he knew that getting into it wasn't really worth the effort. "I'll have the maid get you a towel."

"Are you riding back to the capital?" I asked my brother, seeing as he was fully dressed in traveling clothes and was sporting a massive backpack on his back. How a normal human being was able to carry something so horrendously gigantic eluded me.

"Yes, with all that is going on, I'm going to be needed." He said, trying to hide the concern in his voice. Concern not for our country, but our mutual childhood friend.

"I could come with. I can pack really fast and–…" Garen interrupted me.

"Lux, I'm sorry but you're to remain here for a while. It's for the best."

Of course.

"How is keeping me here under surveillance like a prisoner for the best?" There it was again. The anger I had felt so many times lately.

"I'm not starting this discussion again. Especially not in front of the staff."

"How much longer will you keep me hidden away? Don't you realize you can't keep doing this to me forever?"

"I will take my leave now." Garen said, making me even more angry when he started walking away.

"Oh yes, sure, run away from a conversation, very mature of you!" I shouted after him, but of course, he ignored me. The door of the hall slammed shut as Garen left Crownguard Manor. I groaned in frustration. "This is infuriating!" I said to myself and only realized that I had said it out loud when Jarro eyed me awkwardly. "I don't want to hear a word out of you!" I hissed. He put his hands up in mock defence. I was so angry I could feel the light threatening to surface again. _Deep breaths_, Lux, I thought to myself, _remember your exercises_. I inhaled deeply and let out an exaggerated breath to calm myself. This was fine. I was fine. I could not risk letting it show in front of him.

"Why did you lie?" I asked, mainly to distract myself from the anger towards my brother.

"Hm? Oh, I figured you were in enough trouble already. You probably don't need your brother thinking you were trying to give me pneumonia. You're welcome." He answered.

"Don't do that again." I said, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

"Excuse me? Way to show your gratitude, princess. I was trying to help." He exclaimed, seeming a bit taken aback.

"I didn't ask for your help. And I'm not a princess. Call me that again and I'll make sure you're not keeping this job." I threatened.

"Aren't you already trying to do that?"

My death glare finally shut him up. He realized that I was about to explode and didn't push me any further. Smart choice. I did not need this right now.

No matter where I went, I could always feel his eyes upon me. It made me uncomfortable to the point where I instructed him to keep at least a five foot distance. He sometimes did, but most of the time, he was being the obnoxious idiot that he was. I thought, as time passed I would maybe start being able to ignore his presence, but after a week all that happened was that his self-absorbed, cocky personality began to drive me insane. It was one thing that my privacy was completely disrespected, with Jarro following my every step except for the bath and my bedroom, where he would patiently wait outside, but it was another thing to be the single most annoying prick to have ever walked Runeterra. His gaze was uncomfortable but his remarks were the absolute worst. I was so close to committing a murder, but had to remind myself that I didn't know how to hide a body, so with the last bit of self-restraint, I managed not to laser him to death.

* * *

I hated that he followed me to the garden, commenting on my morning routine of tending to the flowers. "What are you, a grandma?" He'd say mockingly, "do you knit and crochet, too?"

I had learned to simply not respond to his remarks anymore. Sometimes he'd eventually shut up after realizing that I wouldn't talk to him, but other times, he'd just keep going on and on and on.

But the thing I hated most about him was that he was so god damn good at Tellstones. One time, when I was bored and had completed all my chores, I got over my resentment for him for a little while and invited him to a game of Tellstones. Boy, was that a mistake.

He won every single round and he wouldn't shut up about it for hours. Naturally, I challenged him to a rematch the day after but I just couldn't seem to beat him. It drove me so mad, I made it my new temporary goal to beat the smug bastard at this stupid game.

"How are you so good at this, I don't understand." I asked, as I lost the fourth round today. We were sitting at the wooden table in the kitchen after my parents had kicked us out of the study for being too loud. I felt like a child, but I didn't care. I was obsessed with winning at least one round.

"Face it, you just can't beat me. I'm a Tellstones genius." His signature grin was stretching all across his face and I felt like hitting him. With a chair. Repeatedly.

"Where did you even learn to play like that?" I demanded to know. "Tell me your secret."

He laughed. "I'm afraid I can't tell you my secret, but I can tell you where I learned to play. You see, my uncle taught me to play when I was a kid. I think he kinda hoped I'd play with other kids and leave him alone." He said laughingly, but I could detect a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"So your uncle is the actual Tellstones mastermind?" I asked.

"What? No, my uncle is garbage at that game, I said he taught me to play, not how to play well."

"But who taught you to play like… that." I motioned to the result of the last round we had just played.

"No one did. It's skill. I'm just naturally good at the game." He boasted.

"Yeah right." I sneered.

"It's true." Jarro countered but I didn't buy it.

"It's fine. You don't have to tell me. I'll defeat you on my own."

This time, he really smiled at me. Not in a mocking way, but genuinely. For a short second I forgot that I still resented him for being a shitty person.

"Sure you will." He replied, "Keep it up and maybe you'll have a shot at me. In 50 years maybe."

I collected the stones and set up another game.

"I'll beat you. You'll see."


	7. Chapter 7: Moments

Chapter 7

Moments

Ezreal

_Piltover, 5 Years Ago_

_4 in the morning. The sun still wasn't up yet. Good. It would be easier for me to leave undetected. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror one last time. My outfit wasn't exactly ideal for my destination, but it would have to do for now. As soon as I would return, things would go back to normal. Normal. How I longed for things to go back to how they used to be. It had been 4 years now, since they've been pronounced dead. 5 since the last time I saw them. It was hard to believe that I was 15 by now. What if they didn't recognize me?_

_I shook my head. No time to dwell now. I had to get going if I didn't want anyone to notice I was gone in time to stop me. I grabbed my backpack and was about to slip out my window when I realized I almost forgot my mother's journal which was still lying on my desk. I have read the worn down pages hundreds of times, at first desperate to have something I could cling to that belonged to my mother, but time after time I realized that this could lead me to where they are. The tomb of Ne'Zuk. That was my first clue and the first place I would have to investigate if I ever hoped to find my parents._

_Careful not to damage it, I fetched the bundle of paper and leather and let it slip into my backpack. Time to go._

_The streets were empty at this time of day, most shops were closed and the one's that weren't were only just opening up now. There was still some specific clothing I had to get and thanks to my mother's notes I knew exactly where to look._

_Sapphilite Row was located near the docks so I wouldn't have any problems getting down there in time. The shop I was looking for also wasn't that hard to find. The only worry that crept into my head was that it might not yet be open. Should I have come by yesterday? No, I couldn't have risked any sign to my uncle that I was about to embark on this journey. He would have never let me go._

_I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw light coming out of the windows._ Zalies Expeditionary Outfitters and Haberdashery_ it said on the sign. That was what I was looking for. I pushed the door open and a small bell rang to announce my presence. The shop was empty but I could hear faint shuffling from the backroom._

_I had a good look around the place. It was insane how much expeditionary gear there was for all sorts of specific situations. Need to do some mountain climbing in the harsh Freljord climate? There was the stuff you needed. Want to survive the humidity and mosquito bites of the insect-infested Kumungu Jungle? This place has got you covered. It was almost impossible to concentrate on finding what I needed._

_"Can I help you, kid?" The sudden question from behind me almost gave me a heart attack. I spun around to spot a woman who had to be somewhere in her late twenties, looking uninterested. Her skin was tanned and her thick black hair was tied up into a messy knot. She was tall. Taller than me, actually which made her look a little intimidating._

_"I uh... I'm looking for something." I managed to stutter. My social skills were abysmal at this time, a result of being homeschooled for 6 years._

_"I figured. Everyone who comes to a shop is usually looking for something."_

_Was she making fun of me?_

_"Well, I need some sand protection. Uhm, you know, for sandstorms and stuff like that." I said, unsure what exactly that was supposed to look like. The woman tilted her head to the side and raised one eyebrow. I think she was displaying confusion, but she still looked bored out of her mind._

_"Aren't you a bit young to be going down to Shurima, lad?"_

_"How do you know where...?"_

_"If you're looking for sand protection, you're probably going to Shurima. It's not that hard to guess" She turned and searched through a shelf. "Which city you tryna see, huh?" She wanted to know._

_"Nerimazeth. Sort of." I answered truthfully as the woman was still trying to find my items._

_"Nerimazeth? Do you even have any experience? You seem like a bit of a rookie if you'd excuse my honesty. No offense, but Nerimazeth is tough territory for a kid to wander around on their own. You know about the Xer'Sai, right?" She seemed to have finally found the items. "I hope you can pay for that. My gear doesn't come cheap."_

_I did, in fact, take offense to that. "I do have experience! Just not out in the field is all."_

_The woman didn't seem bored anymore. Rather amused._

_As she put my items on the counter she said: "Not out in the field huh? Great, now I feel kinda bad selling you this stuff."_

_I was confused. "Why would you feel bad?"_

_"You're a bit young to die. I don't want to contribute to that"_

_Honestly? I had prepared for this journey for months now, read every book and every parchment about getting from Nashrame to Nerimazeth and its surroundings. I probably knew more about it than any archeology major at the university. I wasn't gonna die, especially not before I found my parents!_

_"What's your business there anyway?" She asked._

_"What do you care?" I snapped._

_She just shrugged. "Look kid, I dunno if you got any family or if you're one of the foundlings out on the streets, but if anyone comes in here asking for a blond kid in a tacky outfit, at least I can point them in the right direction, alright?"_

_"What's wrong with my outfit?"_

_She rolled her eyes. "Not that it matters, but neither is that clothing gonna help you in the middle of the desert, nor does it look appealing in any way."_

_I sighted. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate honesty, but she could have at least been nicer about it. "I'm looking for two missing people." I answered, truthfully, tossing my money onto the counter._

_She looked interested now. "Missing people? That's gonna be some tough luck, kid, people who get lost in the desert usually don't get found. Are they someone close?"_

_"Well, they're my parents actually."_

_Something shifted in her expression. She seemed to connect the dots. "Wait. You're Ella's boy, aren't you?"_

_I stiffened a little at that. I hadn't heard someone say her name in ages. "You knew her?" I said, trying to hide my uncertainty at the situation._

_"Are you kidding? Of course I knew her! She helped me set this whole place up. Damn, she helped me out so many times, I lost count. Always lent me money in tough times which she wouldn't even want back."_

_I had to smile a little at that. "Yeah, that sounds like mom."_

"_You actually look so much like her. It's crazy I didn't realize sooner." The woman seemed to dwell on the memories of her for a few seconds before she snapped out of it and shot me an almost affectionate glance._

"_My, you've grown since the last time I saw you. You must have been, what, 5?" she asked._

_I couldn't answer the question since I don't remember ever having seen this woman in my life, so I just shrugged._

_"I'd tell you not to go and that you probably won't find them but if you're anything like her, you're not gonna listen anyway, are you?" She asked. She was right. I just nodded at that and I was glad she accepted it instead of trying to talk me out of it._

_She turned and reached for something behind the counter. "Yeah... hey, look El was a dear friend of mine... I never got to properly thank her for everything so..." she put something else on the counter, together with the items I already bought. A brown leather jacket with blue-ish fur on the rims of the hood and a few pockets to keep smaller items safe. "... helping her son with his questionable wardrobe choices is probably the least I can do. It's on the house. Just don't lose it."_

_I eyed her with confusion. Was she for real?_

_"Just do me a favor will you?"_

_"What?"_

_"Don't die, okay?"_

_I nodded, still a little bit taken aback by her sudden shift in demeanor towards me. "I'll try. Thanks." I took the gear and stowed it under my arm._

_"And feel free to drop in anytime. Just don't think you'll get any more free stuff."_

_I laughed. "I wouldn't dream of it."_

_"Oh, the name's Zalie by the way."_

_"Figures." I motioned to the sign outside the shop. "I uh..." I tried to stretch my hand out to her without dropping all my stuff "I'm Ezreal."_

_Zalie laughed at how ridiculous I must have looked right now, trying not to drop everything. "I know" she said and instead of shaking my hand, she grinned and ruffled through my hair like my father used to. I felt a bit stupid, seeing as I was 15 and not 8 anymore. Zalie gave me a wink as I shot her an awkward smile. "See you around, kid."_

* * *

I didn't know why I was still doing this. Was getting up at 5 in the morning really worth my stuff? I sighted and climbed out of bed. Well, at least I had my own room. It was small and cramped and only had a tiny window, but I didn't have to share it with 10 other people like the rest of the staff. The perks of being Luxanna Crownguard's personal guard, I suppose.

I slipped into my shoes and didn't even bother changing out of my sleeping attire (which consisted of a tank top and my underwear). At this hour, none of the Crownguard family members, were awake anyway, and the one person who was had lost all respect for me within the first five minutes of meeting me, so I really didn't give two shits about putting on proper clothes before 7.

After stopping at the bathroom, I made my way to the garden, shuffling around lazily. _God, I really miss sleep_, I thought.

I found Luxanna where I expected her to be. Watering the flowers in the garden. I didn't get why she'd insist on doing a task this tedious when there was an entire team of people getting paid for doing it. But who was I to judge. I raided tombs for a living. Which sounded much worse on paper than it actually was, but that's not my point.

"Morning" I yawned as I stepped into the garden. Luxanna didn't answer me, she had made it pretty clear that she wasn't really fond of me. Which obviously had nothing to do with my personality whatsoever. Pfft. Why would people even think that.

"I see you still like to pretend you have already retired even though you haven't even got a real job yet." I said. Okay, maybe it had a little bit to do with my personality. I just couldn't help myself. I had a tendency to just say whatever popped into my head out loud.

"Aaaand you're still ignoring me." I observed.

Without looking up from the flowers she asked: "Have you ever wondered why that might be?"

Well, at least she was talking to me outside of the occasional game of Tellstones.

"That's a trick question, right?" I grinned.

She shook her head in disbelief. It's not that I didn't notice that I was constantly pushing her limits of tolerance. I just actively chose to ignore the fact that I did. Nothing wrong with that.

"Why do I have to be stuck in here with you." She exclaimed. I was used to those kinds of statements by now, and frankly, I probably deserved them being thrown at me.

"In here's not so bad though." I stated, trying to not be obnoxious for once. "I mean, people cook for you, clean for you and all that shit. They'd probably give you a massage if you asked them. Maybe _I_ should ask them for a massage..." my sentence trailed off but Lux didn't take the bait to be a little more positive about her situation.

"A golden cage is still a cage." Lux said and I kind of understood where she was coming from. If someone would put me under constant surveillance and forbid me to set a foot outside my own home, I'd probably go crazy, too. Especially since my rent didn't pay itself and I kind of had to go outside to do my job, but that's an entirely different story.

I considered a thought in my head for a few seconds, then reached out for Lux's shoulder. She turned around abruptly, surprised at the fact that I even dared to step into her comfort zone. I was probably going to regret this.

"Come on then." I said, taking the watering can from her hands and placing it on the ground. "Let's go."

I motioned for her to follow but she just stood there, dumbstruck by my every intrusion of her personal space. "Go where?" She wanted to know.

"You wanted to go out, so that's what we're gonna do." I said, matter-of-factly, as if it was obvious.

"Are you crazy? My aunt–..."

I cut her off mid-sentence. "What your aunt doesn't know won't bother her. Besides, even if she finds out, you're with me, so it's gonna be fine. Your aunt adores me."

"Only because you're somewhat famous." Lux furrowed her brows.

"Psh, whatever. Come on, we don't have all day." I hurried her.

"I will get my cloak." Lux said hesitantly.

"I'll go get it, meet you at the gate in five." I said and hurried inside to get dressed after all.

* * *

As discussed, Lux was waiting at the massive gate of Crownguard Manor, nervously looking around. I passed her the cloak and she swung it over as elegantly as you would expect.

"Just a heads up, is anyone gonna try and murder you outside?" I asked, half-jokingly, but also a little concerned.

She just gave me a look that told me to shut up.

"You still haven't told me where we're going." Her soft whisper was pleasant for a change, no sign of her dislike for me, no anger or annoyance at my remarks. Mainly because there weren't any.

"It's a surprise. Let's go."

She didn't insist on me walking five feet behind her as she usually did. Well, she didn't really know the way, so it wasn't an option anyway, but it felt nice walking next to her for a change. To the outside world, we could have looked like friends, or, with our matching hair colors maybe even siblings if it weren't for the fact that she was dressed way less casual than me.

We made our way to the edge of High Silvermere where we would pass several pine trees until there were no more houses. Lux was visibly confused as to where our destination might lead us but stayed silent. I appreciated her trust, even though it seemed a little naïve to me. The fact that she didn't even know my real name just showed how dangerous it could be to blindly trust someone just because they were your personal guard.

We had to climb up the nearby hill, which wasn't too steep but still had us pant when we reached the top. I told Lux to keep the volume down and silently follow me. She was even more confused now.

"Where in the world are w–..." she demanded to know but I cut her off.

"Shh. You have to be quiet or you'll startle them. Look!" I said and pointed at what I wanted to show her.

At first she looked like she might scold me for wasting her time, but then she spotted them.

"Are those... Silverwing Raptors?"

"They just hatched a few days ago. We should keep an eye out for the mother though, Silverwings can be pretty aggressive if their offspring are threatened."

Lux looked awestruck and I had to admit, it was kind of cute. "I've never seen one in reality. Only in books." She admitted, fully invested in observing the nest. "How did you know they were here?"

"At this time of year, their nests are everywhere. There's a bunch of them up here, it's quite a popular spot." I said. "You have to be careful not to step on any eggs though." I warned her.

"They're adorable." Lux muttered and I had to smile at that. They really were. "When will they learn how to fly?"

I shrugged at that. "I don't know. Probably within the next few weeks. They usually leave the nest about 4 months after they hatch and start their own family."

Lux's smile turned a little sad. "Wow. They leave home so quickly." She said and I had a feeling that it wasn't really about the birds at all.

* * *

We had to leave when the mother had returned to feed the small ones. We didn't want to risk disturbing the nest so we decided to make our way back to the Manor.

"I didn't expect you to be so invested with animals." Said Lux, having completely forgotten that she hated me.

"What? I'm not. Not really." I tried to make clear.

"I don't believe that. You knew your way around that nest so well! You must have pets! I was never allowed a pet. Do you have pets?" She exclaimed excitedly, getting a little ahead of herself. I liked her sunshiny attitude when she was excited. It suited her much better.

I thought about her question for a few seconds. "I used to have a cat, but he hated me. Here." I held out my arm to show her the scratch marks. "Bobo used to scratch me all the time."

The scratches were the least of Lux's concern. "Your cat's name was Bobo?" She asked, trying not to laugh.

"Yeah, what about it?" I asked, a bit confused at the fact that that's what she took away from the conversation.

"Nothing, it's just... it's a funny name for a cat, okay?" She laughed.

"I suppose it is." I answered, smiling a little.

"What happened to Bobo?" She wanted to know after a few moments of silence.

"I don't know, to be honest. He ran away and I never saw him again. It turned out I was allergic so it wasn't that much of a problem for me anyway."

What I didn't tell her was how thinking about this was a reminder of my uncles terrible parenting skills. I didn't even know why he thought it was a good idea for me to have a cat in the first place. I wasn't even home most of the time. When I moved into my own apartment, he said he didn't want me to be so alone all the time so he got me a freaking cat, but really, if he didn't want me to be alone then he shouldn't have been so absent during my entire childhood in the first place. Sure, he took me in, gave me food and a roof above my head and paid for my education, but honestly, that's the bare minimum for fucks sake. And instead of saying sorry for not being there for me as a kid when he was the only relative in my life I had left, he got a me a fucking cat.

Thinking about this always left me at a loss for words at how terrible my uncle was at raising me. All I can say is props to Zalie for looking after my cat. She was the real MVP. Even though she still charged me for her stuff, she was one of the best friends I had since I was fifteen. Heck, she might be almost twice my age, but she felt more like family than my uncle ever did. At least, she was there for me when no one else was.

"Are you okay?" Lux looked at me and I think I detected a hint of worry in her eyes.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I lied and felt pleasantly surprised at the fact that she cared.

"You looked a little sad there for a moment. Do you miss Bobo?"

I had to laugh a little. How could I tell her that this wasn't about Bobo at all?

"Yeah" I answered, "I suppose I miss him a little bit."

* * *

**Putting my notes at the end this time to break my habits.**  
**So yeah, I really really REALLY wanted Zalie to be in the story and to be the cool big-sis character type that everyone needs in their life. So that's kinda what she became.**

**I also just learned about the horizontal lines! AHhhhhh!**  
**Please let me know what you think and I'll be back sooner or later with the next chapter.**  
**Shoutout to Bobo the cat, may he have found love and piece wherever he went...**


	8. Chapter 8: Pretty

**Sooo, when I said I'd be back sooner or later with the next chapter, I actually meant like, half a year later. I was kinda busy during that time, having graduated from university and all but I won't bore you with the details, you came here to read the new chapter, so here you go, one freshly baked chapter just for you guys!**

Chapter 8

Pretty

Lux

We didn't head back right away after all. I had been so deprived of going outside, I practically begged Jarro that he'd take me to the market. He let out an exaggerated sigh and an elongated "fine" but what was he supposed to do, say no? Yeah, that's what I thought.

"What exactly was it you needed again?" Jarro asked as we passed the colorful market stalls on the plaza, filled with all sorts of goods, bread, fish, flowers, and people all around us. I hadn't seen that many people in one place in what felt like ages.

"Aside from genuine human interaction and something other than my own four walls, you mean?" was my rather self-explanatory response. I didn't need anything. I didn't even have any money on me right now. I just needed to stay out of Crownguard Manor a little longer, and there was no harm in going to the market, now that I was already outside anyway.

"What, am I not enough?" My escort said, rather jokingly, I imagined. I didn't even have to look at him, I knew he was wearing that signature grin of his.

"I said _human _interaction" I quipped and Jarro extravagantly pretended to be shot in the heart by my words. "Ouch, Lux, must you always hurt my feelings?" He exclaimed dramatically. I rolled my eyes and harshly told him off. "Need I remind you, it's still Lady Crownguard to you."

"Aww, come on, I thought we were past that? I showed you like, my third favorite spot in this part of the world, can I at least get a little appreciation from you?" He really knew no boundaries, even in public. I decided to let it slide.

"This part of the world huh? So there's others?" I asked out of genuine interest while I eyed a particularly pretty set of jewelry. I was never one for wearing anything extravagant when it came to necklaces or bracelets, but I still admired the intricate details that these craftsmen put into their work.

"Lots. For example, you'd find much prettier pieces than these on Sapphilite Row in the eastern part of Piltover, you know." Said Jarro and the vendor gave him an evil glance. "Come on, I'm trying to run a business here." yelled the vendor but Jarro ignored him. I gave the man an apologetic smile.

"Wait, hold on" I interrupted him "you've been to Piltover?"

"And to Noxus, the Freljord, Bilgewater, the Kumungu Jungle... Shurima... a couple of times, actually" he counted them on his fingers as if they were the most minor things to do, like daily chores. I was beginning to feel a little jealous. I would dream of visiting all those places one day, knowing that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Why do I only find out about this?" Was all I could muster. He just shrugged. "You never asked" he said and I felt a surge of guilt. Had I really been that self-centered the whole time? It was so incredibly unlike me. Even though it seemed a bit self-indulgent to think so, I always liked to see myself as a helpful and caring person. That was before all this started happening. Not only the house arrest I was currently under, but the whole thing about the civil war, the mages, my brother and Sylas… All that had completely thrown me off and I realized that there was so much about Jarro that I didn't know. I felt stupid for shoving him into a box and labeling it without even giving him a chance to prove he was actually a decent person. Maybe I should show him some appreciation after all.

"What's it like?" I asked, out of curiosity but also because I felt that I should make up for being so judgmental for the past few weeks. Jarro eyed me confusedly. "What's what like?" He asked, clearly surprised by my sudden interest.

"Piltover" I said "I hear they have an incredibly prestigious university. Have you seen it?" The University of Piltover had always piqued my interest for more than one reason. For one, the variety of subjects they teach, the amount of knowledge that its library had to contain, but most importantly, the Hextech Technology that was being explored and studied there with no restriction at all. Putting magic and technology together to create a self-substaining power source? Not only was it genius, but also miles away from what Demacia would ever dare to do, let alone show to the public. I always felt that we were a bit on the regressive side of innovation, especially when compared to the City of Progress itself.

"Countless times. One of my relatives teaches there. Not that his lectures are really that interesting." He explained. "But honestly, the university isn't all that great anyway. There's much better places. Did you know there's an ancient Shuriman tomb right underneath Zaun? Well, _was_, to be one hundred percent accurate... but you get the gist."

"Wait, slow down... you know this how exactly?" I would be lying if I said this wasn't at least a little weird.

"Does it matter?" He asked, trying to wave my question off. It did.

"Well, it _is _a very specific thing to know…" _for someone who should be busy fighting the black mist _I added in my mind. It seemed kind of sketchy. But maybe I was just putting too much thought into it. Sentinels did get to travel around a lot after all.

"Oh, won't you look at that" he quickly changes the subject as he pretended to be interested in one of the displays we were just passing. I walked ahead a little, lost in my own thought. Was I being paranoid or was something off? I felt like I had been so concerned with myself lately that I may not have noticed how weird a lot of what Jarro was saying seemed. But then again, I might just be overthinking it. I mean, yes, it was a little curious that he had relatives in Piltover, but it wasn't exactly an impossibility either. And whatever he had been doing in all those other places, I was sure he had his reasons. People could do whatever they wanted in their free time after all, so why not travel an awful lot?

I was so deep in thought that I hadn't even noticed that I'd walked pretty far ahead until Jarro came running up to me.

"Hey, don't you run away from me now. I know the opportunity presented itself right now, but I have abandonment issues, okay? You can't just leave me in the middle of the street." I was sure he intended for that to come across as a joke, but I felt like there was a hint of truth within those words. It just seemed all too specific once again…

"Sorry, I didn't notice." I apologized.

"Woah woah woah, hold on… Did you just apologize… to me?" he asked, more surprised than ever.

"Huh? I mean, yes, I _am _sorry that I walked on ahead." I said, a little dazzled. "Why, is that so hard to believe?"

"I mean, I don't want to be presumptuous, but a day ago you would have taken the opportunity to get out of my sight in a heartbeat." He said and probably wasn't wrong "so please forgive me for being surprised at your genuine interest to make my job easier."

It wasn't like I actually did want to make his job easier. I just wasn't exactly trying to get him fired anymore either. I hadn't even noticed it, but I felt like the small gesture of taking the risk of taking me outside against aunt Tianna's authority made doubt my initial first impression of him. Maybe it wasn't all too bad with him around. It wasn't ideal, but to be fair, it could have been much worse. Tianna could have ended up hiring a brainless, rule abiding brute to get the job done, and at least this way, I was getting to enjoy at least a little freedom. I might have started to get a little used to his presence after all, but that didn't mean I'd give him the satisfaction of admitting to it. "Don't get your hopes up, pretty boy." I laughed. We had passed all the market stalls and were now making our way to the upper class district and back to Crownguard Manor.

"You think I'm pretty?" He put that stupid grin back on and smugly beamed at me. That idiot really managed to obnoxiously ruin any positive thought that he might inspire in people for even a fragment of a second.

I shook my head. "Do you have to take everything I say literal?" I sighted tiredly.

"Well, with you, I'll have to take what I can get. Speaking of getting things, can you give me your hand for a second?"

An audible gasp escaped my throat. "Wow, I _did _take you for an idiot, but I did not expect you to be this openly inappropriate! Have you no shame?" I scolded him although the way he rolled his eyes he clearly thought I was overreacting.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, princess, I wasn't going to hold it, celestials forbid anyone ever did that in public." Jarro mocked and I started to feel the old familiar annoyance bubble back up again. Just as I was going to exclaim my displeasure at his mockery, he had already grabbed my wrist without my consent and had let it go again before I could protest. "There. Though I would appreciate it if we kept that one between us, I'm supposed to be acting professional."

I eyed my wrist, irritated by the light weight his touch had left behind. After a long glance I noticed that it wasn't his touch at all that had added it, but the thin, intricately carved bracelet I was now wearing. It was the one I had eyed earlier.

"What…? When did you…?"

"I'll bring you a more special one from Piltover next time, but for now, this will do just fine."

"With… with what money did you even buy that?" I asked, still a little shocked.

"My own" he replied rather simply, walking backwards so he'd face me "no biggie." He shrugged but looked as though he wanted to be acknowledged for noticing which one I liked. Yesterday I probably would have scolded him for not behaving like he was supposed to as a guard, but instead, I just smiled and muttered "Thank you. I like it." While looking at the piece of jewelry fondly. "Don't worry, I won't tell." I promised.

He breathed out a relieved breath. So he _was _nervous about taking another risk, even though he wanted me to think that he was being casual about it. I was beginning to get the impression that underneath the tough guy façade was actually a fairly decent human being with even a sensitive side to him. Who knew, maybe he was just hiding a whole lot of insecurities behind that mask of obnoxiousness.

"For the record" he said and I swore I noticed a hint of shyness in his tone, even though he likely would have denied it "I also think you're pretty."


End file.
